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Updated: Jun 3, 2026

Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis B Virus DNA
Published on: December 15, 2023
Influence of occult hepatitis B virus infection in chronic hepatitis C outcomes
Conrado M Fernandez-Rodriguez1, Maria Luisa Gutierrez, José Luis Lledó
1Service of Gastroenterology, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, University King Juan Carlos, Av Budapest-1, 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain. cfernandez@fhalcorcon.es
Abstract:
Persistence of hepatitis B virus-DNA in the sera, peripheral blood mononuclear cells or in the liver of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-negative patients with or without serological markers of previous exposure (antibodies to HBsAg and/or to HB-core antigen) defines the entity called occult hepatitis B infection (OBI). Co-infection with hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses is frequent in highly endemic areas. While this co-infection increases the risk of liver disease progression, development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and also increases the rate of therapeutic failure to interferon-based treatments than either virus alone, a potentially negative effect of OBI on clinical outcomes and of therapeutic response to current antiviral regimes of patients with chronic hepatitis C remains inconclusive.
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